BraveStarr was the only cartoon I remember to show someone, a child no less, die of a drug overdose. Most other cartoons had a kid drawn into drugs by some sleazy, awful looking guy, massively OD, than make a complete recovery with no ill effects, just in time to say, "I'm sure glad I learned my lesson," before the end of the show. BraveStarr's "drug episode" had a pretty cool looking, suave guy convincing a kid to steal from his mother in order to buy the drugs, showed the kid's transition from handsome, healthy young lad to burned-out junkie, and then showed him die when he finally OD'd. If I saw that episode today, I might see that it isn't as good as I thought it was when I was a kid, but, darn it, it DID hit me hard and make me think when I was eight and that was the point. For that, I will always hold BraveStarr a little higher in regard than the other cartoons of the period.
